Olympic rower James Cracknell and son save drowning pair on holiday

Turner said that her son Croyde, who is 11 years old and named after the beach, remained “cool, quick thinking, kind and brave” during the incident, while the rescued boy thanked Cracknell by vomiting on his wetsuit.

Cracknell and his son were surfing at Croyde Bay in Devon on Saturday when Croyde spotted a grandfather and his grandson struggling in the water and alerted his father before dashing over to help.

Emerson repeated “I’m too young to die” as he struggled in the water, the rower’s wife, Beverley Turner, said.

‘Everyone walked away, shaken by fine.

Do you know the grandfather and grandson rescued by James Cracknell and his son Croyde at Croyde Beach last night? The nearly-drowned Grandad said “that lad on that board saved my life” and “bloody hell, it’s the rower”‘.

‘James had hold of Emerson and swam back with him in his arms and I swam back alongside them, on my back.

Chivenor RMB Search and Rescue team’s SAC Hughes confirmed they were tasked to an incident involving people in the water at either Croyde or Woolacombe, but were stood down as they were told they had been pulled out of the water.

The drama is said to have unfolded on Sunday, off a beach in North Devon, near to where the Cracknells’ have a holiday home.

Her husband won gold at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004 and was later awarded an OBE.

“He helped him get onto his board and kicked and dragged him back to the shore with James helping him towards the end”.

Emerson’s mum Laura was left horrified hours after arriving for a family holiday.

“The first thing I realised I saw a man in his clothes and thought that was quite amusing”, he explained.

She added: ‘They must have been around 70 metres away from the beach – they were quite a way out. “James is a very strong swimmer and Croyde was very mature”. The family were shaken up but thankfully safe and sound.